A/N: After months of delays, here is chapter three. I have to admit, due to lack of interest, I'd given up on going on with this, but it seems that, on other websites on the net, there's a bit of a Kolchak revival going on. Not one to avoid jumping on any apparent bandwagon headed in my general direction, here I am back to work on my warped little Carl Kolchak meets Maya Gallo piece. I warn you all, it's short and not my best work by far, but I hope I'll be all warmed up for chapter four. Needless to say I do not own any of these characters. They belong to (now follow along) Jeff Rice, Richard Matheson, ABC-TV, Universal Television, Steven Levitan, NBC-TV, Sony Pictures Television and Brillstein-Grey Entertainment (I believe, I'm not sure JSM belongs to BGE anymore).
The Fountain of Youth Flows Through Seattle
Based on characters created by Jeff Rice and Steven Levitan and inspired by a screenplay by Richard Matheson
August 9th
9:30 p.m.
The parade may have pulled out, but the circus had just begun. The moment the word first hit the police airwaves about a murder at Blush Magazine's Supermodel Summit, the New York news media mobilized. It hadn't taken long for them to encamp en masse in the lobby. Knowing they weren't going to be left alone to scratch their heads and wonder where the killer had run off to unless they made a statement, the NYPD organized a brief, yet uninformative, news conference at the feet of the Venus fountain. Presiding over the session was one Lt. Jeremy Ingersoll, a tall, thin man with a hard, square face, cold grey eyes and jet black hair.
"Naturally," he answered a TV man's question, "We are withholding confirmation until next of kin is notified, hopefully, some time tomorrow afternoon."
"Can you tell us how she died?" another talking head asked.
"It appears to be strangulation, but the medical examiner will be able to tell you more."
"Have there been any similar murders in the area recently?" I asked.
The cold glare fixed on me. "In what way, Mister..."
"Kolchak, INS. I mean strangulation where a syringe was used to draw off blood from the base of the victim's skull?"
He glared at me with a false smile designed to send me whimpering back behind the cameras. Having been glared at by the best, it did nothing, so he answered, "As I said, we aren't ready to speculate about any aspect of this case until the medical examiner's report. Thank you all."
Once the conference broke up, I turned to walk away when I felt a hand fall on my shoulder.
"Mister Kolchak," Ingersoll said, "I haven't seen you before. New here?"
"I'm from Chicago usually. My news service sent me here to cover this supermodel thing, so I guess you could say I'm on assignment to Blush Magazine."
"Ah. I see. Tell me, how did you know about the syringe?"
"I saw it."
He put his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. "Hmm. And how was it you knew to look for it?"
I had a cold feeling where this was headed. "Hey, wait a minute. You don't think that I..."
"How long have you been in New York, Mister Kolchak?"
"I arrived this morning. Go ahead, check it out."
"Oh, we will, Mister Kolchak. For a day or two, I'd like you to remain in town. Just routine, I assure you."
I nearly laughed in his face. "Look, Lieutenant, do yourself a favor. Put in a call to the police in Seattle, Washington. Ask for a Captain Roscoe Schubert, and ask him about Pioneer Square. I'm sure he'll tell you all about it."
"Now why would I want to do that?"
"Because maybe then you'll realize what you're up against."
The whole post-briefing encounter with Ingersoll cleared up one of my questions with a frightening answer--Penelopie Wilkins had not been the first. They wouldn't have wondered how long I'd been in Manhattan if she had. I also knew that I wasn't supposed to know about the puncture wound. What I didn't know was why I just didn't tell him about Richard Malcolm or my connection to him and his final reign of terror, outside of wanting to have him hear it from another cop. That and pure stubbornness over being accused of murder. In any event, it was now a race against time and I knew that, with or without help, and whoever this killer was, I had less than eighteen days to stop them.
I know, it's not very long or very good, but it's just a way to get me from here to the next chapter, so please be gentle when you review this...please? Chapter four is coming soon, I promise.
